Dispenser with a visible flexible pouch

ABSTRACT

A fluid dispenser comprising: a flexible pouch ( 3 ) containing said fluid and provided with an opening ( 31 ); a dispensing member ( 5 ) such as a pump for drawing off fluid contained in the flexible pouch through said opening ( 31 ); and a shell ( 11, 12 ) surrounding said pouch ( 3 ) and provided with an opening ( 13 ) that coincides with the opening ( 31 ) of the flexible pouch; the shell being made in two portions ( 11, 12 ) assembled together along a connection line ( 14 ) passing through the opening ( 13 ) in the shell so that each shell portion forms a portion of the opening in the shell; said dispenser being characterized in that at least one shell portion ( 11, 12 ) is provided with a window ( 115, 125 ), through which the flexible pouch is visible.

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser for dispensing afluid, said dispenser comprising with a flexible pouch containing saidfluid, a dispensing member such as pump for drawing off fluid from theflexible pouch, and an advantageously rigid shell in which the flexiblepouch is installed. That type of dispenser is particularly applicable tothe field of cosmetics, in particular for dispensing creams that aresensitive to exposure to the atmosphere. The use of a flexible pouchassociated with an airless pump makes it possible to keep the fluid outof contact from the ambient air, thereby avoiding any oxidation ordeterioration.

In the field of household cleaning materials, it is known that suchflexible pouches can be used as disposed in a shell defining two shellportions that are hinged together. For example, mention may be made ofDocument EP-0 447 687, in which a fluid refill in the form of a flexiblepouch mounted on a pouch support is held via the pouch support betweentwo shell portions which, once assembled together, form a rigid shell.To hold the shell portions together, a fixing ring is provided thatenables a pump to be mounted on the shell and on the flexible pouch.Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,212 gives another example of a refillabledispenser for household cleaning materials. In such refillabledispensers, the aim is to make it easy for one flexible pouch to bereplaced with another flexible pouch. The appearance of such dispensersif of secondary importance since that type of material is sold at lowprices.

In the field of cosmetics or perfumes, appearance is of major importancefor the product. In addition, dispensers for such a use are notrefillable, but rather they are to be discarded once empty. It istherefore not necessary to make it possible for the flexible pouch to beextracted from the rigid shell.

An object of the present invention is to define a fluid dispenser in thefield of cosmetics or of perfumes, in which the flexible pouch isadvantageously used to impart a pleasing appearance to the dispenser.

To this end, the present invention provides a fluid dispenser as definedin claim 1.

Advantageously, both of the shell portions are provided with windows sothat the shell is in the form of a frame or yoke in which the pouch isheld.

Preferably, the flexible pouch defines an end wall held between the twoshell portions.

The shell, with its two frame portions, is thus used to hold theflexible pouch both at its top end that defines the opening 31 which isfixed to the pouch support 2, and also at its bottom end or end wall 33.In one embodiment, the shell portions form retaining means thatco-operate with fixing holes provided in the end wall of the pouch. Theend wall of the pouch is thus held in substantially fixed manner betweenthe shell portions as soon as they are assembled together. According toanother characteristic of the invention, the pouch defines two sideedges disposed without being fixed or held between the two shellportions, so that the side edges can penetrate to varying depths betweenthe side uprights of the shell portions. The width of the flexible pouchvaries as a function of its filling state: it is thus easy to understandthat the side edges of the pouch move apart as the pouch is beingemptied and is thus becoming flattened. In contrast, its heightdimension, i.e. the distance between its opening and its end wallsubstantially does not vary, and it is thus possible to hold it betweenits two ends inside the shell portions.

In order to assemble the two shell portions together, assembly means areadvantageously provided, in the form of male-female connections.

In a practical embodiment, the opening in the pouch is fixed to a pouchsupport held between the two shell portions. The flexible pouch is thusheld at its opening by the pouch support wedged between the two shellportions. Said pouch is also held at its other end, defining the endwall of the pouch.

In another practical embodiment, the dispensing member is fixed to thepouch support by means of a ring snap-fastened to the pouch support andlocking the two shell portions together at the opening.

The present invention is described more fully below with reference tothe sole FIGURE giving an embodiment of the present invention by way ofnon-limiting example.

The sole FIGURE is an exploded perspective view of a fluid dispenser ofthe invention.

The dispenser comprises a flexible pouch 3 defining an opening 31, sideedges 32, and an end wall 33. The pouch may be made from a compositefilm sealed together along the edges 32 and along the end wall 33, theopening 31 giving access to the inside of the pouch. In this embodiment,the opening 31 in the pouch 3 is sealed to a pouch support 2 thatdefines a sealing appendage 21 and a fixing sleeve 22 for fixing bysnap-fastening. A dispensing member 5, which may be a pump, is fixed tothe sleeve 22 using a ring 4 defining a snap-fastening band serving tobe mounted on the sleeve 22. The support 2 further defines a plate 20that serves for fixing in the shell.

In the invention, the pouch 3 is disposed inside a substantially-rigidshell that is formed by two shell portions 11 and 12 serving to beassembled together along a connection line 14 that passes through anopening 13 defined by the shell. To hold the pouch 3 inside the twoshell portions 11 and 12, the plate 20 defined by the pouch support iswedged between the two shell portions 11 and 12. Once assembled, thesnap-fastening sleeve 22 of the pouch support 2 projects through theopening and it is therefore possible to snap-fasten the ring 4 to thesleeve 22. Advantageously, the fixing ring 4 further defines a holdingband which co-operates with the edge of the opening 13 so as to locktogether the two shell portions 11 and 12 at the opening 13.

The flexible pouch 3 is thus held between the two shell portions 11 and12 by its pouch support 2 being held between the two shell portions.

In the invention, at least one of the two shell portions 11 and 12 isprovided with a window 115, 125 via which the flexible pouch 3 isvisible. Such a window may be formed in both of the shell portions 11and 12, as shown in the sole figure. In which case, the two shellportions together form a frame or a yoke in which the flexible pouch 3is held. The side edges 32 and the end wall 33 may be disposed betweenthe two frame portions 11 and 12, respectively between the side uprights110 and 120, and between the end-wall portions 111 and 121. In theinvention, the end wall 33 of the flexible pouch 3 is held between thetwo end wall portions 111 and 121. The two shell portions 11 and 12therefore serve to hold the end wall 33 of the pouch in addition toserving to hold the plate 20 of the pouch support 2. The flexible pouchis thus held in the shell portions 11 and 12 both at its top end thatdefines the opening 31, and also at its bottom end that defines the endwall 33. In one embodiment, the end wall 33 of the pouch may be providedwith two through holes 34. In addition, at their respective end-walls111 and 121, the two shell portions 11 and 12 may define retaining means124, e.g. in the form of lugs co-operating with pegs which pass throughthe holes 34. Naturally, it is possible to consider using any retainingmeans for retaining the end wall 33 of the pouch between the end-wallportions 111 and 121 of the shell. The end wall 33 is thus held insubstantially fixed manner, while the side edges 32 are merely disposedbetween the uprights 110 and 120 of the shell portions 11 and 12,without being fixed, and without being retained, i.e. the side edges 32can penetrate to varying depths between the uprights 110 and 120 as thepouch empties.

To assemble the two shell portions 11 and 12 together at theirrespective end walls 111 and 121, it is possible to provide assemblymeans 122, 123, e.g. in the form of a lug 123 co-operating with an eye122. Each shell portion 11 and 12 may be provided with an eye and a lugserving to co-operate with a lug and an eye formed on the other shellportion. Therefore, the two shell portions 11 and 12 can be exactlyidentical.

To fix the two shell portions together permanently, it is possible for aheat-sealing operation to be performed along the connection line.

By means of the invention, the flexible pouch 3 is visible through bothfaces, while also guaranteeing that it is convenient for the dispenserto be held via its shell. The flexible pouch 3 is nevertheless quitefirm since it is held via its two ends.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fluid dispenser comprising: a flexible pouch(3) containing said fluid and provided with an opening (31); adispensing member (5) such as a pump for drawing off fluid contained inthe flexible pouch through said opening (31); and a shell (11, 12)surrounding said pouch (3) and provided with an opening (13) thatcoincides with the opening (31) of the flexible pouch; the shell beingmade in two portions (11, 12) assembled together along a connection line(14) passing through the opening (13) in the shell so that each shellportion forms a portion of the opening in the shell, the connection linedefining a contact zone between the two portions, at least one shellportion (11, 12) being provided with a window (115, 125), through whichthe flexible pouch is visible, said dispenser being characterized inthat the pouch defines two side edges (32) and the shell portions eachcomprise two uprights (110, 12) with each side edge (32) being disposed,without being fixed or held, between the two uprights (110, 120), sothat the side edges (32) can penetrate to varying depths between theside uprights (110, 120) of the shell portions (11, 12).
 2. A dispenseraccording to claim 1, in which both of the shell portions (11, 12) areprovided with windows (115, 125) so that the shell is in the form of aframe or yoke in which the pouch is held.
 3. A dispenser according toclaim 1, in which the flexible pouch (3) defines an end wall (33) heldbetween the two shell portions (11, 12).
 4. A dispenser according toclaim 3, in which the shell portions (11, 12) form retaining means (124)that co-operate with fixing holes (34) provided in the end wall (33) ofthe pouch.
 5. A dispenser according to claim 1, in which each of theshell portions (11, 12) defines an end wall (111, 121) provided withassembly means.
 6. A dispenser according to claim 1, in which theopening (31) in the pouch is fixed to a pouch support held between thetwo shell portions (11, 12).
 7. A dispenser according to claim 6, inwhich the dispensing member (5) is fixed to the pouch support (2) bymeans of a ring (4) snap-fastened to the pouch support and locking thetwo shell portions (11, 12) together at the opening (13).
 8. A dispenseraccording to claim 1, wherein the side edges (32) of the pouch are thinand the uprights (110, 120) define slots between them, and wherein theside edges are freely inserted in the slots.